The present invention relates to a heating apparatus having a refrigeration cycle which includes a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator, and more particularly to a heating apparatus having a refrigeration cycle, which is capable of cooling and heating as well as supplying hot water.
A heating apparatus comprising a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, an evaporator and the like having a refrigeration cycle is well known. In addition, heat pumps are also well known. In a heating apparatus, upon activating the compressor, a refrigerant through the condenser, the expansion valve, the evaporator and the like, which allows the refrigerant to be changed in its state from liquid to gas at the condenser and from gas to liquid at the evaporator. The generated heat is then released outside by the condenser, while an external heat is absorbed by the evaporator. Thus, the condenser and the evaporator can serve as a heat source and a heat sink, respectively. A cooling/heating/hot-water supply apparatus applying such a refrigeration cycle has been widely known. As exemplarily shown in FIG. 9, this apparatus comprises a compressor 200 for compressing a refrigerant, a condenser or hot-water supply heat exchanger 201 for preparing hot water with a high-temperature refrigerant transferred from the compressor 200, and a cooling/heating heat exchanger 202 acting as a condenser for heating and as an evaporator for cooling, and a heat source heat exchanger 203 acting as a condenser for heating and as an evaporator for cooling. In FIG. 9, reference numbers 204, 205, 206, 207 and 208 indicate a cooling fan, a four-way switching valve, an expansion valve, a check valve, and a room heat exchanger, respectively. Thus, heating, cooling, and both hot water supply and cooling can be achieved by controlling the flow direction of the refrigerant as follows. In heating use, the four-way switching valve 205 is switched to allow the refrigerant to flow from the compressor 200 to the cooling/heating heat exchanger 202. The refrigerant then flows through the hot-water supply heat exchanger 201 into the cooling/heating heat exchanger 202. Water serving as the refrigerant is heated by the cooling/heating heat exchanger 202, acting as a condenser, and is then supplied into the room heat exchangers 208, 208 to provide indoor heating, as is widely known. In cooling use, the four-way switching valve 205 is switched to allow the refrigerant going out of the compressor 200 to flow to the heat source heat exchanger 203. The refrigerant passes through the hot-water supply heat exchanger 201 and then flows from the heat source heat exchanger 203 into the cooling/heating heat exchanger 202. In this case, the cooling/heating heat exchanger 202 acts as an evaporator so that the water refrigerated by the cooling/heating heat exchanger 202 is supplied into the room heat exchanger 208 to provide indoor cooling.
In hot-water supply use, the four-way switching valve 205 is switched to allow the refrigerant to flow to the hot-water supply heat exchanger 201. The refrigerant is then condensed at the hot-water supply heat exchanger 201. When cold water is supplied from a city water pipe 210 to the hot-water supply heat exchanger 201, the water is heated by the hot-water supply heat exchanger 201 and is then discharged from a tapping-water pipe 211. When cooling is performed in parallel with hot water supply, the four-way switching valve 205 is switched to allow the refrigerant to flow from compressor 200 to both the hot-water supply heat exchanger 201 and the heat source heat exchanger 203. The refrigerant is then condensed at the hot-water supply heat exchanger 201 so that hot water may be supplied as described above, and the refrigerant is simultaneously evaporated at the hot-water supply heat exchanger 201 so that indoor cooling may be provided as described above.
Thus, the conventional refrigeration cycle or heat pump is capable of providing both cooling/heating and hot water supply by a single unit. In addition, the conventional refrigeration cycle is economical as compared with hot water supplies using other heat sources, such as electricity or gas fuel. However, the conventional cooling/heating/hot-water supply apparatus is only available for cooling/heating and hot water supply. Moreover, it is only difficult to determine if the potential efficiency of the refrigeration cycle is fully brought out and utilized in the conventional apparatus. There is also the problem that the water temperature obtained from the conventional heat pump is less than 55xc2x0 C. which is insufficient for tap water. It is expected that the tap water temperature could be raised in some measure by increasing the condensing pressure of the heat pump, for example, up to 2.2MPa or more. However, when the condensing pressure is increased, the compressor is imposed to operate under severe conditions, and pressure differential between lower and upper pressures in operation is disadvantageously large. In addition, a safety device is applied to most machines in order to prevent an operation under high pressure. Thus, the operating pressure is limited, for example not more than 2.75MPa, resulting in tap water 55xc2x0 C. In a conventional heat pump capable of preparing hot water instantaneously, tap of 60xc2x0 C. or more can be obtained. However, the temperature of the water supplied to the hot-water supply heat exchanger ranges from 0-35xc2x0 C., thus the heat pump is inefficient because such a heat pump cannot reheat the water to 55xc2x0 C. right after use. Under the reasons described above, regardless of system types, such as an instantaneous system and a circulating system, the conventional cooling/heating/hot water supply apparatus has a problem with difficulty of use as a heat source for air conditioning and floor heating, or a heat source for drying and the like.
A water purifying apparatus for making it possible to enjoy taking a bath at pleasure on a 24-hour basis has proposed in various patent applications by the present applicant, such as Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 6-48893, and Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 7-185574. Such a purifying apparatus of bathwater comprises: a filtering device for removing a solid matter, such as hair of a person taking a bath; a water pump for compulsorily circulating the bathwater; an activating device containing an active stone, such as ceramics, shell fossil and Bakahan-stone; an ozone gas generator, or ozonizer, for generating ozone gas for sterilization, deodorization and the like; a heater for heating up the bathwater to a predetermined temperature; and a control device for controlling the ozone gas, the heater and the like. Thus, when the bathwater is passed through the activating device, an organic matter, such as ammonia which leads to purification of the bathwater, is decomposed by bacteria which propagates itself in the active stone and has heteronomy, so that the bathwater may be purified. In addition, ion exchange is taken place in the bathwater, and active ingredients, such as magnesium, zinc, calcium and sodium, are dissolved into the bathwater, so that hydrogen-ion concentration of the bathwater may be controlled in an alkalescent state. As described above, this apparatus has various advantages, but is not economical with regard to heating, because the bathwater is required to be maintained at a predetermined temperature on a 24-hour basis and the heater is formed of an electrical resistive element or the like.
The present invention has been devised in view of the foregoing conventional circumstances. It is an object of the present invention to provide a heating apparatus having a refrigeration cycle, which is capable of heating efficiently and sanitarily a relatively high temperature hot water supply, bathwater and the like or any combination thereof, without a particular increase in size of the refrigeration cycle, and without any interflow between the bathwater and the water of a hot-water storage tank.
In addition to the aforementioned object, it is another object of the present invention to provide a heating apparatus having a refrigeration cycle, which is capable of heating or drying a bathroom so as to achieve a secure bathroom even for seniors.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a heating apparatus having a refrigeration cycle, which is capable of enjoying bath healthfully at pleasure on a 24-hour basis.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a heating apparatus having a refrigeration cycle, in which the condensing pressure is low and the tapping water temperature is high.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a heating apparatus having a refrigeration cycle, which is capable of supplying high temperature tapping water as well as circulating and heating relatively high temperature water in a hot-water storage tank.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a heating apparatus having a refrigeration cycle, which is capable of circulating and heating the water in a hot-water storage tank as well as utilizing the water in the hot-water storage tank for increasing the temperature of bathwater, a heat source for floor heating and a heat source for drying.
In order to achieve the aforementioned objects, in a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cooling/heating/hot-water supply apparatus, having a refrigeration cycle which includes a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, the heating apparatus comprising: a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, wherein the first heat exchanger is selected as a heat source, the second heat exchanger being selected as either a cooling or heating source, the first heat exchanger and second heat exchanger being connected in series with each other in a refrigerant circuit; a heat transfer device in which a heating medium is circulated and which is connected to the first heat exchanger; wherein bathwater of a bathtub and water of a hot-water storage tank are heated through the heat transfer device indirectly by the first heat exchanger.
In a second aspect including the first aspect of the present invention, the heating apparatus may further include a bathroom heating device connected to the heat transfer device which is connected to the first heat exchanger, and a cooling/heating device and a floor heating device which are connected to the second heat exchanger.
According to the first and second aspects of the present invention, there is provided the benefits of heating efficiently and sanitarily a relatively high temperature water supply, bathwater and the like and any combinations thereof, without any interflow between the bathwater and the water of the hot-water storage tank.
In a third aspect including the first or second aspect of the present invention, the heating apparatus may further include a bathtub device which is interposed between the heat transfer device and which has a filtering/purifying device for the bathwater.
In a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cooling/heating/hot-water supply apparatus, having a refrigeration cycle which includes a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator, the heating apparatus comprising: a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, and a third heat exchanger, wherein the first and second heat exchangers are respectively selected as a heat source, the third heat exchanger being selected as either a cooling or heating source, the first and second heat exchangers being connected in series with the third heat exchanger in a refrigerant circuit; a heat transfer device in which a heating medium is circulated and which is connected respectively to the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger; wherein bathwater of a bathtub and water of a hot-water storage tank are independently heated through the heat transfer device indirectly by the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger respectively.
According to the third and fourth aspects of the present invention, in addition to the aforementioned benefits, there is provided the benefit of maintaining a bathroom at a predetermined temperature, and of achieving a secure bathroom even for seniors. There is also provided the benefits of heating and filtering/purifying the bathwater to enjoy a bath healthfully at ones pleasure on a 24-hour basis.
In a fifth aspect including the fourth aspect of the present invention, the heating apparatus may further include a bathroom heating device connected to the heat transfer device which is connected to the second heat exchanger, and a cooling/heating device and a floor heating device which are connected to the third heat exchanger.
According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the benefits of heating the bathroom and cooling/heating a floor.
In order to achieve the aforementioned object, in a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hot-water supply apparatus, or a heating apparatus, having a refrigeration cycle which includes a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator, wherein the condenser is selected as a hot-water supply heat exchanger to which a feed water pipe and a tapping water pipe are connected, the heating apparatus comprising a flow regulating valve interposed in either one of the feed water pipe and the tapping water pipe, wherein the heating apparatus is adapted to obtain the tapping water of 60xc2x0 C. or more with a condensing pressure of an allowable pressure or less by determining a parameter of the refrigeration cycle including the feed water flow rate depending on the flow regulating valve, a heating area and size of the hot-water supply heat exchanger and a supercooling rate.
In a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hot-water supply apparatus, or a heating apparatus, having a refrigeration cycle which includes a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator, wherein the condenser is selected as a hot-water supply heat exchanger to which a feed water pipe and a tapping water pipe are connected, the heating apparatus comprising a flow regulating valve interposed in either one of the feed water pipe and the tapping water supply pipe, wherein the heating apparatus is adapted to allow the feed water of 35xc2x0 C. or more to be supplied to the hot-water supply heat exchanger with a condensing pressure of an allowable pressure or less, and to obtain the tapping water of 60xc2x0 C. or more, by determining a parameter of the refrigeration cycle including the feed water flow rate depending on the flow regulating valve, a heating area and size of the hot-water supply heat exchanger and a supercooling temperature.
In a eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a hot-water supply apparatus, or a heating apparatus, having a refrigeration cycle which includes a compressor, a condenser and an evaporator, wherein the condenser is selected as a hot-water supply heat exchanger to which a hot-water storage tank is connected through a feed water pipe and a tapping water pipe, hot water in the hot-water storage tank being circulated between the hot-water storage tank and the hot-water supply heat exchanger so as to be heated when a water temperature detected in the hot-water storage tank drops to a predetermined temperature or less, the heating apparatus comprising a flow regulating valve interposed in either one of the feed water pipe and the tapping water pipe, wherein the heating apparatus is adapted to allow the hot water in the hot-water storage tank to be circulated between the hot-water storage tank and the hot-water supply heat exchanger when the water temperature detected in the hot-water storage tank drops to the predetermined temperature or less, and to obtain and store a hot water of 60xc2x0 C. or more with a condensing pressure of an allowable pressure or less by determining a parameter of the refrigeration cycle including the feed water flow rate depending on the flow regulating valve, a heating area and size of the hot-water supply heat exchanger and a supercooling temperature.
According to the sixth, seventh, and eighth aspects of the present invention, there is provided a particular effect of obtaining a high temperature water of 60xc2x0 C. or more with the condensing pressure of the allowable pressure or less, and also of allowing hot-water of 35xc2x0 C. or more to be supplied to the hot-water supply heat exchanger. In addition, since hot water of 35xc2x0 C. or more can be supplied to the hot-water supply heat exchanger, a high temperature water of 55xc2x0 C. or more can be stored in the hot-water storage tank by circulating and heating the high temperature water in the storage tank. Thus, circulating and heating the high temperature water allows the hot water in the hot-water storage tank to be utilized as heat sources for heating of bathwater, air/floor heating, drying and the like.
In a ninth aspect including the eighth aspect of the present invention, the heating apparatus may further include a heat load device which serves uses including bathwater, heating, and drying.
In the tenth aspect including one of the sixth to ninth aspects of the present invention, the flow regulating valve may be a pressure type temperature regulating valve for controlling the feed water flow rate by sensing a pressure of the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle.